All cats are active hunters, and not passive. They will hunt different types of prey depending on the size and environment in which they are housed. The diet of these feral cats varies depending on the types of animals that share its vast territory. But its main prey is on rats and birds of various kinds. Larger feral cat species such as lions and tigers will hunt larger herbivores. Tigers usually chase large herbivores, such as deer and sometimes cattle.
Cats are opportunists, and they will tend to eat anything that can be caught, which may range from small insects to turtle types. Fish also form an important part of the diet of some species. But domestic cats will always be happy to eat the food provided. However, there are also fussy cats, and if their diets suddenly changes, they may face starvation even though the alternative foods they are given are of no difference in it source of nutriance. Similarly, if the food given is stale, it may be ignored by the cat.
All cats rely primarily on their sense of smell to determine whether to eat a particular food or not. They will sniff it carefully before deciding whether to taste it. In the case of a cat that has had a respiratory illness, persuading it to eat normally often proves to be very difficult, simply because its sense of smell may be affected.
While many owners now use prepared food or canned cat food for their pets, some still prefer to prepare fresh food. These need to be cooked and left to cool before being given to cats. Lungs, liver, and other types of organ meats are often used as cat food, but in the long run, these foods are deficient in nutrition.
Wild cats eat it whole, all of their prey, but domestic cats fed on organ meat will not have access to the skeleton, which contains most of the body’s calcium reserves. As a result, cats will experience skeletal weakness. This is especially true in the case of kittens, which are fast growing. It’s not just deficiencies that can be harmful. Even too many liver organs in a cat’s diet will lead to an excessive diet of vitamin A. This condition will cause an odd or abnormal cat skeleton. This can cause bone fusion in the cat’s painful shoulder.
Even fresh food can be used occasionally, especially to tempt a sick cat’s appetite. Don’t forget the importance of mixing these foods with appropriate vitamin and mineral supplements, after consulting your veterinarian. Especially if you intend to use this type of diet for your cat for a set period of time.
While there is a common myth that feeding raw meat to domestic cats can evoke aggressive habits, this is not true. But there are possible risks especially with the high number of animals processed in modern meat packing plants. Such foods can be contaminated by a variety of potentially harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella. It is also possible that your cat will get sick as a result, or may acquire parasites. Therefore cooking all meats is highly recommended in any situation as a safety measure.
The risk of such infections is much lower in the wild. This is simply due to the fact that the cat hunts and kills individual animals and eats them almost all at once. Thus, eliminating the risk of cross -infection at this time.
The sad fact for a domestic cat is the possibility of it catching a bird or a rat. The hunting instincts of domestic cats remain strong, but they can have trouble killing their prey. Cats will carry or drag their catch a long distances from where they are caught. This is an instinctive attempt to stop other predators from taking it.